


cold snap

by bertee



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Abuse, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Slavery, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Rescue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-17
Updated: 2013-08-17
Packaged: 2018-05-15 17:51:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5794072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bertee/pseuds/bertee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As much as neighbor!Jared likes omega!Jensen, he can't say he's all that fond of how Jensen's owner treats him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	cold snap

Mark seemed like a nice guy.

He'd always been a decent neighbor -- quiet, clean, helpful when Jared locked himself out of his house -- and when Jared landed a raise at work and started looking into omega adoption, Mark had been decent enough to invite him over for a beer to talk about the trials and tribulations of omega ownership.

Which was how Jared found himself standing at Mark's door face-to-face with the prettiest omega he'd ever seen.

"Uh, hi," he stammered, unsure of the proper greeting methods. He'd seen omegas out in public before, of course, but he'd always spoken to the owners first rather than the omegas themselves. "I'm Jared. Is Mark here?"

The omega looked at him warily. He was taller than Jared had expected but slim where Jared and Mark were all bulk and muscle. He seemed like a good specimen though, with big green eyes, full lips and a pretty face, and Jared found himself wondering if his breeder had any identical twins going spare. 

Before the omega could say anything, Mark appeared at his shoulder and greeted him with a smile. "Jared, good to see you. Come in, come in." He nudged the omega out of the way with a tap to his hip and patted Jared on the back as he ushered him in out of the cold. "Give Jensen your coat. Can he get you a beer?"

"That'd be great, thanks," Jared said, passing his heavy coat to the omega. He wondered who'd named him. 

After hanging the coat in a closet, Jensen hurried off to the kitchen on bare feet. He was only dressed in a pair of sweats but Mark answered Jared's question before he could ask it, "Omegas run hot. Even in this weather they're happier with just some light clothes on."

Jared felt foolish. "Right. Sorry."

"Hey, you're new to this," Mark said amicably, leading him through to the couch. "It's a hell of a learning curve. I guess you'll find that out soon enough -- you said you got a raise and were looking to buy?"

"Yeah, I mean, I got my place with a view to owning an omega one day, y'know?" Jared said, dropping to a seat and admiring Mark's immaculately kept house. "And now seems like as good a time as any."

"It's a big commitment," Mark warned, "but if you're ready for it, it can be great. They're needy little things though," he said as Jensen returned from the kitchen with two beers in hand. He passed one to Jared with a polite nod of the head and then handed Mark his own before settling on the floor by his feet. 

"Aren't you, Jenny?" Mark said, ruffling Jensen's hair. Jensen stayed quiet, eyes fixed on the floor, and Mark gave his hair a quick tug. "That was a question, sweetheart."

"Yes, sir," Jensen answered instantly and Mark smiled. 

"Good boy." Mark patted him on the head and took a sip of beer. "I don't even know if they sell many females anymore, what with all the new 'omega rights' regulations about pregnancies but I definitely recommend a male. I can put you in touch with a breeder if you want -- Jensen here came from a great center. Almost perfect behavior right from the start."

Jared took a sip of his own beer. "How long's he been with you?"

Mark pursed his lips in thought. "Wow, it must be ten years this January. Time flies, man. I got him way back when the wife and I were still together but I gotta say, he's an improvement on that bitch."

Jared winced a little. "Not an amicable divorce, I take it?"

Mark shrugged. "You know how it goes. Anyway, I got Jenny here now to keep me company. You could definitely do worse than an omega. He keeps the place clean, does all the chores, has a hot dinner waiting for me at night, and he's here for me to play with whenever I want. He's like the best combination of a pet and a boyfriend -- I can do what I want with him then shut him away in the closet if I want to spend the night with an actual person."

He chuckled to himself and Jared forced a polite smile. He'd been raised with a different view on omegas from Mark -- sure, they were happiest in this kind of domestic position but that didn't mean they weren't people too -- but he figured he'd give him the benefit of the doubt. It was probably just a private joke with Jensen.

"He sleeps with you then? In your bed? I saw some omega beds and stuff online but I wasn't sure how that worked."

"It's up to you," Mark said. "See what works best for your boy. Jenny here stays with me when I want him to but otherwise he's at the foot of the bed or down in his own room. Flexibility's the key." He knocked back some more beer and leaned forward. "Hey, you want me to run you through some of his gear? It's useful to know the amount of stuff you're gonna need to take good care of something like Jenny."

Jared wasn't totally convinced that his shiver was from the wintery weather but he kept his smile in place as he agreed, "Sure." 

He got to his feet after Mark and Jensen and followed them through the kitchen to a small, colder room out towards the garage. It was run-down compared to the rest of the house and clean despite the coldness, but that didn't stop Jared curling his toes to try to warm himself up as he looked around at the various and confusing items lining the room.

"Okay, so we've got the basics here," Mark said. "Spare clothes for laundry day or when the weather's too bad, a spare bed in case he sleeps down here, and a bunch of dry food for him."

Jared frowned. "Don't omegas just eat regular food?"

"They can," Mark agreed, "but sometimes I'm not always that great at portioning out the leftovers or buying enough groceries. You know how it goes." He dug his hand in the food bag, which looked more like it contained dog biscuits than human food, and lifted a handful of pellets to tip into Jensen's mouth. "Wouldn't want him to go hungry, would I?"

Jared could've sworn he caught a grimace from Jensen but he didn't say anything as he ate what Mark gave him and mouthed a polite thank you.

"All right," Mark continued. "I recommend getting a sturdy cage. It's good for transport purposes," he said and barreled on before Jared could ask why Jensen couldn't just sit in the car with him, "but it's useful for discipline too if it comes to that."

Jared raised his eyebrows. "Discipline?"

"All above board, obviously," Mark said quickly, closing a box to his right. "But you gotta keep them in line. Jenny was well-trained when I got him but it's important to correct all their mistakes or else they don't learn. Now he's got it down, haven't you, Jenny?"

Jensen couldn't hide his flinch when Mark reached over to stroke his cheek and Jared felt stony fear settle in his stomach at the implication.

"Yes, sir," Jensen replied obediently and Mark nodded.

"How about a demonstration?" Mark said. "Let you know what you can expect from your own omega?"

"I don't-"

A harder edge crept into Mark's voice as he ignored Jared's complaints and gave his order, "Jensen, boots."

There was barely a split-second's hesitation before Jensen sank to his knees at Mark's feet and bent over to lick his boots. Jared's outrage on Jensen's behalf froze back to fear again when he saw the light bruising on the back of Jensen's neck, like someone had grabbed him and held him down. He wondered how hard Jensen had resisted Mark's first attempts to get him to lick his shoes clean.

"Roll over," Mark ordered before Jared could say anything, and he watched mutely as Jensen shifted to lay on his back on the cold floor. He closed his eyes as Mark put his spit-shined boot across his throat but was terrifyingly still for someone who could get their neck crushed with one step.

Mark glanced at Jared with a smile and a knowing wink. "Now go greet our guest like you greet me."

The instruction was followed up by a nudge to Jensen's shoulder with his boot and Jensen got back on his knees as he inched forward to kneel between Jared's legs. His cheeks were red and he looked seconds away from crying but he pressed his face up against Jared's crotch like a dog, fitting his mouth to his soft cock as best he could through the barrier of the denim.

"Hey!" Jared said, pulling away sharply. 

Jensen almost overbalanced but sank back on his heels as Mark asked, "Everything okay?"

"Fine," Jared lied. "Sorry, I just-" _was not okay with you forcing your omega to suck my dick_ "remembered I had something to do this afternoon." He backed out towards the kitchen. "Sorry to run like this. Thanks for the information though -- that was some really insightful stuff."

Reaching the front door, he turned to head out but was stopped by a call from Jensen, "Wait!" 

Jared spun back around to see Jensen standing awkwardly between him and Mark.

"You forgot your coat," he said quietly and Jared exhaled.

"Crap, thank you," he said with a smile. "Thanks, man." He gestured to the closet. "In here, right?"

"I can get it," Jensen said, the same moment Jared took a step forward. 

He headed for the closet with Jared right behind him but Jared slipped inside after him and said clearly enough for Mark to hear, "It's okay, just show me where it is and I'll grab it."

Jensen backed up against the coats in the closet, eyes wide as Jared blocked his exit, but Jared held his hands up, trying to show he wasn't a threat as he whispered, "Hey, are you okay?"

Jensen looked terrified as he whispered back, "You shouldn't be in here. Please-"

"Everything okay in there?" Mark asked.

"Peachy," Jared called back cheerfully. "Just looking for my keys -- I think they slipped out of my pocket." 

He lowered his voice to speak to Jensen again, "Is Mark hurting you? You can tell me -- I can get help. He shouldn't be allowed to-"

"No," Jensen said quickly. "I- He's good to me. Please just let me out. Please."

Unnerved by the fear in Jensen's voice, Jared grabbed his coat and backed out, shooting Mark a smile as Jensen emerged to stand by his side. "Got everything," he said. "Thanks again, man. Sorry for running off like this."

"No problem," Mark said easily. "See you around, Jared."

The cold air swallowed him up as Jared headed back out to his own house. The door swung shut with a thunk behind him and even with the wind whistling past him, Jared could've sworn he heard another thump from inside the house, like another door being slammed shut or like an omega being knocked to the floor by his owner.

Jared reversed his opinion of Mark seeming like a nice guy.

****

+++

Over the next couple of weeks, Jared found excuse after excuse to stop by Mark's house. He returned mail, borrowed sugar, asked for opinions, whatever it took to get into Mark's house long enough to check on Jensen.

If Mark was abusing him, he was careful about it. Jensen was always there, docile and beautiful and apparently not being beaten by his owner. There were bruises on him sometimes, stripes from fingers on his wrists and neck or a yellowing mark on his face, but Jensen's stories always aligned perfectly with Mark's and Jared knew he wouldn't have enough evidence to lodge a complaint with protective services.

Hell, as the days went by, he started to doubt that there was any mistreatment happening at all.

Right up until he stopped by one day to find Jensen home alone.

Jensen's eyes went wide when he opened the door to find Jared on the other side and Jared watched the way his fingers tightened on the door as he stammered, "I'm s-sorry, sir, Mark's not here."

Jared decided to seize the opportunity. "That's okay," he said. "I was expecting some mail and just wanted to see if it came here by mistake. Can I come in?"

Jensen's mouth opened and closed but he stayed in the doorway. "Sir, I- Mark wouldn't-"

"I won't be long," Jared promised. He didn't want to get Jensen in any trouble, especially if his suspicions about Mark were correct, but he couldn't pass up the chance to talk to him while he could. "Please? It's a really important letter. I just wanna check."

Jensen bit his lip but stepped aside to let Jared enter.

"I haven't seen anything, sir," he said, nodding towards the stack of mail on the table by the door. "But it would be there if we had anything."

"Awesome." Moving over to the table, Jared rifled through the letters and kept the conversation as light as possible as he asked, "So how've you been?"

He glanced over his shoulder to see the surprise that crossed Jensen's face at the question.

"Things going well with you and Mark?"

"Mark's good to me," Jensen said uncertainly. 

Jared turned to look at him. "You sure about that?"

Jensen's expression hardened and Jared held his hands up. "I'm not trying to trick you into anything," he said softly. "I'm just worried about you, man. Mark doesn't seem like a good guy." He took a tentative step closer. "Has he hurt you?"

Jensen wouldn't meet his eyes. "You need to go."

It wasn't a no. 

"Jensen," Jared said again, "you can tell me. I'll help you. I can get you away from him."

Jensen stepped back sharply at that, pulling into himself as he looked up at Jared nervously. "No," he said. "Mark's good to me."

"Yeah," Jared said with a gentle smile, "you said that."

"Because it's true," Jensen said firmly. "He takes care of me."

"You don't-"

"Please," Jensen begged, "please just leave, sir. I can bring you your mail if I find it. He's going to be home soon."

"Jensen, are you scared of him?"

Jensen's gaze darted up to Jared's before he lowered his eyes again. "No. Sir, please-"

"Jensen!"

Jared jumped at the shout and turned to see Mark climbing out of his car and heading toward the house. 

"Jensen, where the fuck are..."

Mark trailed off when he caught sight of Jared, and Jared made sure to put himself between Jensen and his owner as Mark approached them. "Hey, Padalecki. Everything alright?"

"Fine," Jared said cheerfully. "Jensen was just helping me look for some mail. I thought it might've been sent here by mistake."

Mark looked between the two of them with mistrust but kept his tone as light (and as fake) as Jared's when he asked, "Any luck?"

"Nope," Jared said, stepping out of the house into the cold air. "Thanks for the help though."

Mark's smile was about as icy as the wind. "Anytime."

Jared clapped him on the shoulder as he headed back to his house. "See you around, man. Bye, Jensen."

He knew he wasn't imagining the look of fear on Jensen's face as Mark walked inside and he sent up a quick prayer that his instincts were wrong about him. He didn't want Jensen getting hurt because of him. 

Lingering on the sidewalk, he watched Mark slam the door behind him, shutting Jared out. Unable to do anything else, Jared folded his arms to keep warm as he jogged back home. He wanted to get back before it snowed.

****

+++

Even though Jared made it inside before the snow started, his iPod didn't. It was only when Jared was playing with the settings on his treadmill to start his workout that he realized he'd left his iPod and his cell phone in his car, which was now covered in the heavy layer of snow that had been falling for the last few hours.

He debated ignoring it, waiting at least until the snow had stopped before he ventured outside, but he was keyed up for his workout. Running on the treadmill just wasn't the same without a soundtrack of cheesy 80s rock playing in the background.

Pulling on his boots, Jared wrapped himself in his biggest coat before opening the door to let the icy wind hit him. The snow was coming down thick and fast, already deep enough to soak into the bottom of his jeans, and Jared closed the door behind him to stop it blowing into the house.

He hurried over to the car, ducking his head against the force of the wind, and leaned in to retrieve his cell and his iPod from the center console where he'd left them.

The wind scraped the back of his head, blowing his hair into his face and sending flakes of snow down the back of his jacket, and Jared shivered as he locked his car and turned back to the house. The sooner he could get back to the warmth the better.

He stopped abruptly when he heard a rattle from next door.

He thought he'd imagined it when he looked over at Mark's house standing dark and silent beside his own, but as he lingered out there in the snow, he heard it again. There was a fence between their properties, lined with trees and flowerbeds, so Jared jogged out to the sidewalk to look up at Mark's place for a clue as to the source of the sound. There were no wind-chimes or loose pieces of pipe or anything else that looked like it would be making a metallic clanking sound and Jared advanced up the driveway, confused.

Mark's car was gone, he noted. Since Mark was the only person with the keys, he was obviously out and Jared's benign curiosity intensified to worry at the realization that Jensen might still be there and in trouble. Maybe he'd fallen and knocked something over loudly enough for Jared to hear it all the way outside.

"Mark?" he called, knocking on the door. "Jensen? Anyone home?"

There was no sound from inside the house and Jared wrapped his jacket more tightly around himself as the snow kept falling. His nose and fingers were freezing cold but he didn't want to go home without making sure nothing was wrong. 

"Jensen?" he called again, louder. "It's Jared from next door! Everything okay?"

Jared's ear was almost pressed to the door but when he caught the sound of a muffled whimper, he could've sworn it was coming from outside the house rather than inside.

"Jensen?" 

Stepping away from the door, Jared walked around the side of the house, trying to work out where the sound was coming from. As he walked around to Mark's backyard, he tried to convince himself he was just being stupid. Jensen had probably gone with Mark when he left and Jared was trudging through the snow looking for a raccoon or something. It was nothing.

He was proved wrong the second he rounded the corner of the house and got a look at Mark's backyard.

It was big, even bigger than Jared's own yard, and covered with a thick white blanket of snow. There was a shed in one corner but Jared's eyes were drawn to the short metal post sticking out of the snow in the middle of the yard. 

More specifically, the man chained to said post.

"Oh god."

Jensen jumped at the sound of his voice and Jared held his hands up as he inched closer. There was a thick collar fastened around Jensen's neck and connected to the post by a sturdy chain, keeping him leashed out there, and hot anger rose up at the thought of how long Jensen had been chained up in the snow. He was wearing a t-shirt and socks in addition to his usual pair of sweats but they were soaked through with ice-water and even from a distance, Jared could see how pale Jensen's skin was from being exposed like this.

God help him, Jared would see Mark rot in jail for this.

"Hey," he said, edging closer, "hey, it's just me. I'm not gonna hurt you."

Jensen skittered backwards at Jared's approach, looking up at him with wide, terrified eyes. His movements were clumsy from the time spent in the snow and Jared winced in sympathy when his retreat was halted sharply by the chain around his neck.

He curled in on himself, shaking his head, but Jared moved in until he could rest a hand on Jensen's shoulder. He didn't want to traumatize him any more but he couldn't afford to leave him out there any longer than necessary.

"I'm gonna get you out of here," he promised, ducking his head to try to catch Jensen's gaze. "I can help."

Jensen made a soft, miserable sound, curled up in a ball with his arms wrapped around his knees, and Jared frowned when he caught sight of the straps at the back of Jensen's head. 

"What-" He slid his hand around to Jensen's cheek and coaxed his face up. "Can you lift your head for me, Jensen? Please?"

He wasn't sure how much of Jensen's obedience was voluntary or how much had been beaten into him by his owner but he finally raised his head. He moved passively under Jared's hand and Jared swallowed hard when he got a better look at Jensen's face.

"Jesus..."

Jensen was muzzled. 

Jared couldn't think of a better term for it as he looked at the lattice of straps that had been pulled tight over the lower half of Jensen's face, restraining his jaw while keeping his mouth forced open with something Jared couldn't see. There were bruises on his cheek and temple, dark and violent, and Jared shook his head in disgust at Jensen's owner. He didn't know how someone could treat an animal like this, let alone an omega.

His disgust only intensified further when his eyes traveled down Jensen's body to see the mitts fastened onto his hands, keeping his fingers curled in place. He guessed Mark had used them to stop Jensen undoing the buckle of his collar but in the freezing temperature they prevented Jensen even using his hands to warm himself up. 

There were further straps buckled around his thighs and calves, keeping him trapped on his knees, and it took all Jared had to tamp down his fury when Jensen looked up at him, letting out a wordless plea through his muzzle.

Jared honestly didn't know whether Jensen was begging for release or just for Jared not to hurt him more.

"It's okay," he promised, stroking a hand through Jensen's hair as he inspected the collar. "You're going to be okay. I promise. I'll get you out of here."

Jensen made a noise which could've been anything between a cry for Mark and a sound of encouragement but the weather (and general human decency) was enough that Jared couldn't leave him out there. Jared's own fingers were numb with cold as he fumbled with the buckle on the back of the collar and he couldn't even imagine how cold Jensen must have been after being trapped in the snow for god knows how long.

"Nearly got it," he murmured, trying to reassure him. "I'm gonna get you home and warmed up just as soon as I get you out of this collar."

He leaned further forward, trying to unhook the buckle. His arms were wrapped loosely around Jensen and Jared blinked in surprise when he felt Jensen press against his skin, burying his face in the crook of Jared's shoulder as he tried to stifle a cry. 

"Shhh," Jared soothed, stroking Jensen's back with his spare hand once he finally got the buckle working. "Shh, it's okay. I got you."

Jensen was shaking when he raised his head again and Jared gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. The snow was still falling down on them and Jared made the executive decision to get inside and get warm before he went to work on any of the other restraints keeping Jensen in place. 

"I'm going to pick you up," he said quietly. "I'll get you free as soon as we're inside but I don't want to leave you out here any longer than I have to, okay?" Jensen looked at him nervously but Jared couldn't afford to waste more time convincing him. "On three, okay?"

Sliding one arm under Jensen's knees and one under his back, Jared got him settled in his arms as best he could as he couldn't down, "One, two..."

He staggered to his feet on the count of three. Jensen started, twisting in his arms, but Jared held him tight as he shivered against him. He was relieved to feel Jensen wrapping his arms around him for support when he made his way out of Mark's backyard, and as he carried Jensen back over to his own house, he knew Jensen wouldn't spend another second in Mark's custody if Jared could help it.

****

+++

From his vaguely remembered knowledge of first aid, Jared was pretty sure that Jensen's shivering was a good thing in that it meant his body wasn't totally shutting down yet.

However, the thought wasn't all that comforting when he had a shaking, traumatized omega in his arms.

The snow kept falling in heavy flakes around them as Jared carried Jensen back around to his own house. He paused to lock the door behind them -- he didn't know how Mark would react when he came home to find Jensen missing -- and then headed straight upstairs for the bathroom. 

Jensen struggled in his arms, letting out a panicked cry past the muzzle covering his mouth, and Jared realized too late that carrying him upstairs could be construed as something completely different from a soothing bath.

"Hey, it's okay," he promised, holding Jensen tighter to stop him falling. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just going to help you get warm, okay?"

Jensen was still tense in his arms but Jared felt some of the fear slip out of him when he walked past the door to his bedroom and into the sizeable bathroom at the end of the hallway. His stomach flipped unpleasantly at the thought of Mark or anyone else having sex with Jensen when he was like this, freezing cold and bound so tightly he couldn't even move his fingers to warm himself up, but he forced himself to focus on Jensen rather than Mark.

Setting Jensen down on the tiled floor, Jared shucked his own coat off and put the water on full to let the bath fill up beside them. Lukewarm seemed like the best option to start with -- he didn't want to overload Jensen's system with the shock of hot water -- and the sound of the water echoed through the bathroom as he knelt down next to Jensen.

Jensen flinched at the touch to his knee and Jared kept his movements slow and obvious as he spoke to him gently, "I'm going to get you out of these restraints, okay? If anything hurts or you want me to stop, you tell me and I'll stop." He glanced over to the rapidly filling bath and made a quick choice. "Can I put you in the water first?" he asked. "You need to get warm."

Jensen's eyes were huge and green against the pallor of his face but Jared was heartened when he caught Jensen's tiny nod. He was lax and pliable under his hands as Jared lifted him again, stumbling a little under the weight before lowering him carefully into the bath. The water splashed up over Jensen's socks and sweats but it didn't seem to be hurting him at all as Jared went to work on removing the straps and bindings holding him in place.

The muzzle went first.

It was a thick, ugly thing made up of criss-crossing leather straps which fit over his jaw and buckled at the back of his head. As he pulled it away, Jared could see red marks on Jensen's skin from where the leather had been pulled too tight for comfort but his mouth fell open in disgust when he saw the thick plastic column in the center of the muzzle which had been holding Jensen's lips open. 

It was shorter than a real dildo but the intent was obviously there in keeping Jensen's lips stretched wide around a fat fake dick, however short it was. From what he'd seen of their interactions, he couldn't imagine Jensen ever talking back to Mark or saying anything that would warrant a gag, let alone a muzzle, leaving him with the appalled realization that Mark had put this on him solely for baseless punishment and humiliation.

He dropped it to the floor in disgust and watched as Jensen tested his jaw, opening and closing his mouth and taking deep, hitching breaths as he tried to hold himself together. His lips were blue with cold and the pale tinge to his skin only made the bruises on his face stand out even more where Mark had beaten him before chaining him up in the snow.

"Jensen?" he asked gently. "You with me?"

Tears ran down Jensen's cheeks as he nodded. "T-t-thank you," he stammered through chattering teeth. "I..."

He was shaking too hard to speak and Jared turned the water temperature up higher as he moved down to the constrictive mittens holding Jensen's fingers togethe. "I'm going to take these off," he said quietly. "Let me know if it hurts."

Jensen nodded again and held his hands out willingly as Jared worked on the buckles holding the mittens in place. He saw him wince as he tried to straighten his fingers but was relieved to see them moving again once he'd dipped them in the warm water that was now lapping at the sides of the bath.

He moved down again to his legs, this time to unfasten the straps that banded his thighs and calves and held him on his knees. Jensen stilled under his hands, silent and fearful as Jared's fingers skimmed his thighs but Jared tried to keep his touches as clinical and non-intrusive as possible as he freed his legs.

Jensen cried out when he tried to stretch out, clutching at the sides of the bath and biting his lip in pain, and Jared couldn't keep himself from reaching out in support. Jensen curled against him, burying his face in his sleeve as he gasped through the agony of the cramps in his legs, and Jared stroked his back as he murmured, "Shhh. It's okay, man. It's all gonna be okay."

"Why?" Jensen asked, quiet enough that Jared wasn't sure he'd even heard anything. He pulled away and looked up at him with big wet eyes as he shivered in the middle of Jared's bath. "W-why are you doing this?"

"It's not like I could just leave you out there," Jared said, turning the temperature up as he let some of the colder water drain out. "Jesus, you could've died in that weather, Jensen."

Jensen hunched in on himself, fingers twisted together in his lap as he whispered, "He's going to kill me anyway when he g-gets home."

"Mark?" Jared asked. "Why? Why would he do this to you?"

"B-because I disobeyed," Jensen said, trembling. "He told me not to talk to anyone and I disobeyed."

"Talk to-" Jared's heart sank. "You mean me? He did this to you because you talked to me?"

Tears ran down Jensen's cheeks. "It was my f-fault, sir. I shouldn't have done it."

"It isn't your fault," Jared said firmly. 

He reached up to wipe Jensen's tears away but lowered his hand when Jensen pulled back sharply, clearly expecting to be hit. He banged his elbow hard against the side of the bath and Jared held his hands up, not wanting to spook him more than he already had.

"Does he do this a lot?" Jared asked as lightly as he could. "Does he always punish you?"

"He's my master," Jensen whispered. "It's his job to keep me in line."

The words sounded more like Mark's than Jensen's own, and Jared probed further. "How does he punish you? Has he chained you up like that before?"

Jensen's eyes darted up to Jared's before he lowered his head again. "Never in the snow, sir."

That didn't do much to help the queasy feeling in Jared's stomach. "Does he hit you often?" he asked, wanting as full a picture as possible. "Does he ever force you to, uh..."

There really wasn't a good way to ask a terrified omega if his master routinely raped him but going by the panicked look in Jensen's eyes, Jared already knew the answer. Fighting back the nausea that rose up at the thought, Jared pushed himself to his feet and tried not to think about the way Jensen made himself as small and unobstrusive as possible when he towered over him.

"I need to go make a call," he said, reaching past him to turn the water off. "I'll give you some privacy to get out of those wet clothes and get yourself warmed up, and I'll leave you some clean ones to wear when you're dry." 

He darted out of the bathroom and grabbed the first clean hoodie and pair of sweats he could find from his bedroom. When he got back, Jensen was already pulling his wet t-shirt off over his head and Jared's breath caught in his throat at the sight of the bruising that littered his chest and back in the shape of fists, fingers and boots.

"I, uh, I'll leave the towel and clothes here," he said, depositing them on a chair by the bath. "Take as much time as you need."

He turned to leave but his chest tightened at the quiet confusion in Jensen's voice as he called after him, "T-thank you, sir."

The tremor in Jensen's voice played over and over again in his head as Jared headed to his bedroom and dialed the omega abuse helpline.

****

+++

The Omega Rescue officers were there in less than thirty minutes.

Jared wasn't sure what to expect but once their SUV pulled into the driveway, he was immediately swept up in a reassuring whirl of activity. There were two of them, a man and a woman, and after determining that Jensen's owner was male, it was the woman -- Cortese -- who took Jensen into the living room to answer questions while Jared walked the man -- Morgan -- through what had happened. 

He'd taken him around to Mark's backyard to show him where Jensen had been chained up and shown him the various straps and bindings that Jensen had been fastened into. Morgan was painfully professional throughout the whole process, taking notes and pictures and bagging Jensen's clothes and restraints as evidence, but going through everything again only made Jared even angrier on Jensen's behalf.

They'd just finished packing up the muzzle when Cortese called from downstairs, "Morgan, you wanna come sit in for the B11?"

"Be right there," Morgan called back, sealing up the plastic evidence bag. At Jared's frown, he explained, "We need to take some pictures of his injuries for the report. It's policy to have two officers present."

Jared nodded, quietly reassured by the precautions they had in place, and followed Morgan downstairs to the lounge. Jensen was perched on the edge of the couch, still pale from the cold and looking way too skinny in Jared's oversized clothes, and Jared bit his lip at the pleading look he sent in his direction.

"Can I sit with him?" he asked. "While you take the pictures?"

Jensen started at the mention of pictures but Cortese nodded. "Yeah. It'll be good to help keep him calm."

Jensen's hand found his as soon as Jared settled on the couch beside him. He was shaking and Jared ran his free hand down his back as he soothed, "Shhh. It's okay, Jensen. They're here to help you."

Jensen shook his head. "He's going to kill me," he whispered. "He's going to be so angry."

"No-one's going to hurt you," Jared promised. "That's why they're here. They're not going to let you go back to Mark." He looked up at Morgan and Cortese. "Right?"

The officers exchanged looks.

"We'll do what we can," Cortese said gently. "It's up to the judge to decide, so we can't make promises either way, but from what Jensen's told me, your case is looking pretty strong."

"Good." Jared nodded, giving Jensen's hand an absent squeeze. "That's good."

"Okay, Jensen," Cortese said, voice pitched low and unthreatening. "I'm just going to take some pictures of your bruises, okay?"

Jensen looked to Jared for approval and, on receiving a smile, nodded his agreement. His grip on Jared's fingers never lessened as Cortese went to work, snapping picture after picture of the bruises on his face and body.

****

+++

Mark arrived home just as Jensen was leaving.

Despite Jared's protestations that Jensen could stay with him, Morgan and Cortese had insisted on taking him to a rescue center pending a ruling from the judge. They didn't think it would take long -- omega abuse cases went through quick if the case was strong -- but Jensen needed to be kept in the center with access to doctors and omega psychiatric specialists until the judgment came through.

Still swamped by Jared's clothes, he was given a pair of shoes and a blanket from the SUV before Morgan and Cortese led him out into the snow again. Jensen's eyes were bright and terrified as he glanced back at Jared but Jared's internal reassurances that he was doing the right thing came to a screeching halt when he saw Mark's car pull into the neighboring driveway.

Jensen's thin cry was audible over the wind and the snow. He shook Cortese's hand off his arm as he made a break for it, but Jared did a double take when, instead of running to Mark or out down the road, Jensen ran back to him. 

He dropped to his knees on Jared's porch, shaking worse than he had been in the snow, as he begged, "Please, sir, please don't let him kill me. Please, I'll do anything, I swear." His breath caught on a sob. "I don't want to die."

"Jensen?"

Mark's bellow carried over through the snow and Jared froze, torn between the omega on his knees at his feet and the furious owner striding down to his house. Judging by the way he staggered in the snow, Mark was already three sheets to the wind but that didn't seem to have dulled his anger any as he yelled down the driveway, "What the fuck are you doing with my omega?"

With Morgan on the other side of the SUV, it was left to Cortese to intercept him, hands raised in an effort to placate him. "Mr Pellegrino? Jensen is being taken into our custody pending a review of his treatment under your care. We'd like you to-"

"Fuck that," Mark spat. "He's my goddamn property!"

Cortese remained unruffled. "I understand that, sir, but-"

"Get the fuck out of my way," he snapped. "I'm a fucking taxpayer. I'm not having some stuck-up cunt telling me what I can and can't do with my property."

"Sir-"

"I said fuck off!" The shout was accompanied by a violent shove and Jared's eyes widened as Cortese fell hard against the side of the SUV.

Morgan's furious yell was lost to the wind as Mark stormed towards the house, given blind courage and fury by the sheer amount of alcohol flowing through his veins. Jensen clutched at his leg, cowering in the face of Mark's anger, but Jared stood his ground as Mark charged towards him.

He didn't see the punch coming.

Mark's fist caught him hard on the cheek, sending him toppling back against his front door as he gasped through the pain. He tasted blood on his tongue and blinked with blurry eyes when he saw Mark haul Jensen up off the ground only to smack him back down into the snow with a violent backhand to the face.

"Fucking slut," he slurred. "I take a couple of hours to get away from my whiny, needy bitch of an omega and you're already whoring yourself out to the whole goddamn street!"

"No," Jensen pleaded, curling in on himself in the snow. "Please, sir, I didn't. I'm so sorry. Please-"

He dissolved into coughs when Mark kicked him in the stomach. Mark drew his foot back to kick him again but Jared lunged forward before it could connect. 

Catching Mark off-balance, Jared's tackle sent them both tumbling to the ground. Mark thrashed beneath him, limbs flailing with a drunken lack of coordination, but Morgan's voice cut through the tussle before Jared could bring his fist down in a punch. "Put your goddamn hands in the air."

Jared froze at the command but when he turned to look, Morgan's attention was firmly on Mark. His gun was drawn and his aim didn't waver as he nodded for Jared to move back.

"Fuck you," Mark muttered. The threat of the gun seemed to have dulled his violence, however, and he raised his hands as commanded.

Stumbling backwards, Jared watched mutely as Cortese pulled him over onto his front and planted a knee in the small of his back as she snapped cuffs around his wrists. There was a darkening red mark on her head from where she'd hit the car but otherwise she seemed fine as she held him down in the snow and waited for Morgan to finish reading him his rights.

The knowledge that Mark was being taken into custody was infinitely reassuring. Morgan went to call for back-up as Cortese dragged Mark to his feet and Jared turned away to check on Jensen once he was confident Mark was no longer a threat.

He found him still sitting on the ground with a hand to his stomach when he'd been kicked, and Jared tried for a smile as he helped him up. "You okay?"

Aside from the livid mark on his cheek from the backhand, Jensen was pale as he watched Morgan and Cortese shove Mark into their SUV. "I- T-thank you," he stuttered. He looked up at him, eyes sliding to the swell of Jared's jaw where Mark's punch had landed. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Jared said firmly. He desperately wanted to pull Jensen into a hug but wasn't sure that he'd react well to any kind of contact right then. "He's an asshole, but he's not going to hurt anyone anymore, okay? They'll lock him up for this."

Jensen didn't look convinced but Cortese came jogging over before he could say anything else. "We've got the medics and another vehicle on their way."

"What happens now?" Jared asked. "Is he going to jail?"

"He's going into custody," she confirmed. "We've got a whole load of things to charge him with now so there's a good chance some of it will stick." She looked to Jensen. "We're still going to need to take you to a rescue center for a few days, okay? I shouldn't think the case would take more than three or four days to clear but there's paperwork and check-ups that need to be done before we make any more decisions."

Jensen's voice was barely above a whisper when he said, "Yes, ma'am."

She looked between the two of them with sympathy. "Go on back inside if you want. It'll take a while for back-up to get here and you two should probably dry off. I'll be there in a minute to take additional statements."

"Sure." Jensen's arms were tightly folded across his chest as he shivered and Jared risked a hand on his shoulder as he guided him inside. "C'mon, let's get you warmed up."

Jensen followed obediently as Jared led him inside but whispered as soon as they made it into the hallway, "Please can I use the bathroom, sir?"

"Oh, yeah, of course," Jared said, gesturing to the door. "Right through there."

Jensen disappeared inside with a timid thank you. The lock clicked into place behind him but Jared's heart sank when he heard the hitch of Jensen's breath beneath the noise of running water.

As far as he was concerned, whatever sentence Mark received wouldn't be long enough.

****

+++

It was a week before Jared saw Jensen again.

Morgan and Cortese had taken him away with the promise to contact Jared if Jensen agreed, but it was seven whole days before he'd received the call from the rescue center asking him to come in.

He was there less than forty minutes later.

The center was an expansive building of pale stone. It was on the outskirts of the city, far enough that people weren't likely to wander in out of curiosity, and the tall fences and armed guards on the doors served to dissuade people further. Jared couldn't help but find the checkpoints reassuring as he went through - he was glad there were people there to protect Jensen in his absence - but his nerves started to build once he was inside.

He was shepherded into a neat, cosy room with yellow walls and a set of comfortable furniture. It was bright and welcoming but did nothing to calm Jared's anxiety as he waited with his hands in his lap and his eyes on the door. He'd been through almost every scenario in his head over the past week, from Jensen running into his arms to Jensen refusing to see him ever again, but now that he was there, watching the minutes tick by, he didn't have any idea what to expect.

He jumped at the click of the door opening and scrambled to his feet when a woman in a peach sweater appeared at the doorway. "Uh, hi."

The woman smiled. "Jared Padalecki?"

"That'd be me," Jared said, wiping his sweaty palms on his pants.

"I'm Kim," the woman said. "I'm one of the doctors here. I've been helping with Jensen's case."

Jared was talking before he could stop himself. "His case? Is he okay? Did Mark get charged with what he did to him?"

Kim held up a hand. "One thing at a time, Mr Padalecki," she said easily. "I asked you here to talk to you about Jensen's situation. Now, Jensen's indicated that he'd like to be present for this discussion. Would that be okay with you or would you prefer to discuss things privately?"

Jared frowned. "He can be here," he said, confused. "That's fine with me."

Kim smiled. "Great. Take a seat and I'll bring him through."

She disappeared out of the door again and Jared sank to a seat. His heart was thrumming in his chest as he tried to picture how much Jensen might have changed from the beaten, terrified omega who was bundled into the back of an SUV a week earlier.

He got his answer when Kim returned a moment later.

Jensen followed behind her, shoulders pulled in and head down as he entered the room. He was dressed in thin green pants and a white t-shirt which did nothing to hide the fading bruises on his arms and face. They were less vivid than Jared remembered, smoothing out to a dull yellow rather than purples and reds, but the slow heal brought home just how badly Jensen had been treated by his owner.

Kim took a seat in the chair opposite Jared while Jensen perched on the chair beside her, only inches away from kneeling.

"To answer your questions," Kim said calmly, "Jensen's previous owner has been stripped of his right to own omegas. The other charges are still pending but the judge has given his approval for Jensen to be re-homed as soon as he wishes."

Jared swallowed. "And he wants to come live with me?"

"He does," Kim said. "It's one of the few opinions he's expressed during his time with us but he's been adamant that he wants to stay with you." She eyed him carefully. "I'm sure you can understand why we're surprised by the strength of his feelings on the matter."

In spite of himself, Jared felt a surge of defensiveness at the fact that someone would doubt that Jensen would be happy with him, but he calmed himself down a second later. The doctor was just doing her job and she did have a point.

"I helped him, I guess," he ventured. "I don't think he had anyone else when he was with Mark. I really like him, Doc. I'd be happy to take care of him for as long as he wants to stay with me."

Kim looked down at her file. "We ran a background check on you based on the details you supplied when you signed up for omega adoption a few weeks ago," she said. "Steady job, good income, comfortable accommodation - there's no reason you couldn't take in an omega."

Jared smiled. "Great."

"But you must appreciate that Jensen's situation is a little different," she said gently. "From what he's told us this week, he's been severely abused by his previous owner. That kind of trauma doesn't just disappear."

Jared's gaze cut to Jensen who was hunched over even more, eyes on the floor.

"I understand," he said. "I'll take good care of him, I promise."

The doctor jotted some notes on her clipboard. "You still want to proceed?"

Jared didn't hesitate. "Yes."

"And Jensen?" Kim asked gently. "Do you still want to go with Jared?"

Jensen nodded. "Yes, ma'am," he whispered.

There was an undercurrent of fear in his voice which made Jared's stomach twist. He knew Jensen would gain confidence in time but hearing his voice tremble made him want to pull him in for a hug right there.

"Okay then," Kim said. "We've got some paperwork for you to fill out. We'd ask that you agree to monthly home visits for the next six months, just to ensure that Jensen's settling in alright, as well as some regular counselling sessions but otherwise we should be able to let the two of you get on your way."

"Sure," Jared said, relaxing a little at the confirmation. "Whatever you want. Whatever he needs."

"Good." She turned to Jensen. "Jensen, do you want to go pack up your things while I finish up with Jared?"

Jensen ducked his head. "Yes, ma'am."

He scurried out of the room before Jared could say anything. He wanted to ask questions - what Mark had done to him, what he'd said about Jared - but instead forced a polite smile on his face when Kim pulled out a sheaf of papers and said, "Okay, let's start with the adoption forms."

****

+++

The drive home was nearly silent.

They'd gotten off to a shaky start when Jensen had faltered at the lack of a cage for him to travel in. It had taken some coaxing to convince him to ride in the front seat rather than the trunk and the entire way back he'd been perched nervously in his seat, like he was scared Jared was going to throw him out of the moving car or something equally unpleasant.

All Jared's questions had been met with short, timid answers and by the time he pulled up to his house, he felt like he didn't know anything more than when he'd left. 

Most of the snow had melted over the past week, leaving scattered piles of slush that were holding out against the warmer weather, but Jared didn't miss Jensen's shiver as they walked from the car to the house. He had shoes and a jacket, courtesy of the rescue center, but a clear tremor went through him when he glanced over to the trees which blocked Jared's view of Mark's yard.

"C'mon," Jared said, wanting to drive home the safety of Jensen's new living arrangement. "Let's get you inside, huh? I bet you're ready for some decent food."

"I can make whatever you want, si- Jared," Jensen said quietly.

Jared sighed but didn't press it further as he headed inside. His boots and jacket found their usual home and he waited for Jensen to follow suit before guiding him through to the living room. "Come on through here," he said. "We need to talk."

Jensen swallowed nervously. He was on his knees as soon as Jared dropped to a seat on the couch and Jared blinked in confusion when he stammered, "T-thank you, sir."

"You're welcome?" Jared leaned forward, trying to understand why Jensen was suddenly on his knees. "Jensen-"

"I'm sorry I was gone so long," Jensen continued, hurrying over his words. "I didn't want to be away so long but they wouldn't let me come back to you until I did everything they wanted." He tensed, eyes fixed on the ground. "I'm so sorry, sir."

"You don't need to call me sir," Jared reminded him. "And you don't have anything to be sorry for, Jensen. You could've stayed there as long as you wanted."

Jensen's eyes darted up to his. "Do you want me to go back?" he asked. "I can leave if you don't want me here, sir."

"No, of course I want you here," Jared said. "Jensen, you're safe here, okay? You don't need to be scared of me. I'm not gonna hurt you."

Jensen didn't move from his knees as he whispered, "You can do whatever you want to me, sir."

Unnerved, Jared slipped off the couch to kneel beside him. Jensen flinched when he rested a hand on his shoulder, barely holding in a terrified whimper, and Jared spoke quietly, "Hey, calm down. Just take a breath for me, okay?"

Nodding, Jensen took some shallow breaths and Jared gave his shoulder a squeeze. "That's good. That's real good, Jensen. Now talk to me, man. What do you think I'm going to do to you?"

Jensen's breathing grew faster but he refused to meet Jared's eyes. "A-anything you want, sir. I know that was the deal."

"Deal?" Jared sank further down to cross his legs. "What deal? With who?"

Jensen glanced up at that. The confusion was clear in his voice when he stammered, "M-me, sir. I said I'd do anything if you didn't let my mast- Mr Pellegrino kill me, and then you saved my life. I'll do anything you want, sir," he said, close to begging now. "I won't struggle or cry or anything, I promise. Thank you for saving me, sir."

Jared felt like he'd been punched in the gut. His early pride and enthusiasm at Jensen's eagerness to stay with him deflated in seconds and he swallowed past the lump in his throat to ask, "Is that why you wanted to stay with me?"

Jensen blinked, lost, and Jared said numbly, "You thought you owed me for saving you from Mark. That's why you wanted to come here, wasn't it? That's why you thought I wanted you?"

"You should get what you're owed, sir," Jensen said softly.

"Jensen..." Sighing, Jared inched closer, hating when Jensen shrank back from him. "You don't owe me anything. I stopped Mark because I didn't want to see you hurt, not because of some promise you made when you were scared half to death."

"Then why?" Jensen asked, desperate. "Why did you agree to take me?"

"Because I want to look after you," he said honestly. "Because you had some godawful luck getting Mark as your owner and I figured you deserved someone better after living through that for years."

When he looked up again, Jensen's eyes were wet with tears. "I already had what I deserved, sir."

"No," Jared said firmly. "You didn't deserve being chained up in the snow for hours just for talking to me. You didn't deserve to be beaten and kicked for telling people what happened to you. I've seen the shit he used on you - the cage, the straps, the muzzle - and I can promise you that you didn't deserve any of that either."

Jensen faltered. "I-I was disobedient, sir."

Jared doubted that. "Even if you were, that didn't give him the right to rape you."

Jensen flinched violently at that, pulling away from Jared's touch, and Jared held his hands up at the realization that he'd gone too far. 

"I'm sorry," he said. "That was out of line."

The glance Jensen aimed in his direction was one of disbelief -- Jared guessed he hadn't received too many apologies over the years -- but Jared tried to keep the pity off his face. "I want to take care of you, okay? If you don't want to stay with me, you don't have to. I won't force you into anything but I really do just want to help."

Jensen still looked nervous but Jared was pleased to note that he'd stopped pulling away.

"You think you'd be okay with trying this out?" he asked. "Just for a while?"

Wrapping his arms around himself, Jensen gave a tiny nod. He didn't look fully convinced of Jared's intentions but as far as Jared was concerned, it was a positive start.

"Great," he said with a smile. "That's awesome." Pushing himself to his feet, he held a hand out to help Jensen up. "You wanna come see your room?"

Jensen's eyebrows shot up and Jared smiled as he got up off the floor. "I figured you could use your own space and I have a guest bedroom no-one's using so..."

He trailed off with an embarrassed shrug but felt his cheeks heat when Jensen murmured in disbelief, "Thank you."

Stupidly pleased by Jensen's apparent happiness, he tried to contain his delight as he offered his hand. "You want to take a look?"

It felt like a victory when Jensen took his hand with a shy nod.

****

+++

The guest room was beige.

Jared wished he had a better word to describe it, something more appealing or homely or exciting, but as he looked around the walls and furnishing of Jensen's new room, that was the only word he had left. 

"I, uh- We can redecorate," he offered, giving Jensen an apologetic smile. "Paint it a color you like." He tilted his head, watching the way the dresser almost blended into the wall. "Anything even close to resembling a color would be good, really."

Edging into the room, Jensen looked around as though he was standing in the world's biggest candy store, instead of an overly beige guest bedroom. "I can stay here?"

Jared smiled. "As long as you like." Walking across the room, he conducted a brief tour, "You got a closet, dresser, nightstand, all the usual stuff. Once you're settled in, we can look at getting you anything else you need, like a desk or a bookcase or something."

Jensen's brow creased as he looked in the wardrobe and then around at the corners of the room. "I- Is there a cage?"

"A cage? What-" Remembering the cold, cramped room by the garage in Mark's house (and more specifically, the cage and makeshift bed in said room), Jared shook his head. "No. No cage." He gestured towards the bed with a flourish. "This is all yours."

Jensen looked between Jared and the bed with a tense nod. 

It wasn't hard to figure out what he was thinking and Jared took a prompt step backwards. "I mean it," he said firmly. "The bed, the furniture, the decorations, all of it's yours. I know Mark wasn't big on letting you have any personal space but it's different here, okay? This room is yours. I won't come in unless you say I can."

Jensen stared in disbelief. "But it's your house, sir," he said, lost. "I'm yours. You can do whatever you want."

"Nope," Jared said firmly. "Not in here. You get scared or overwhelmed or just plain old pissed off at me, then you can come in here and get some space." Making his point, he moved back to stand outside the open door and said with a grin, "See, we'll test it. Tell me no."

He knocked on the door and Jensen peeked his head around it, bemused, when Jared asked, "Can I come in?"

Jensen glanced between him and the open door, looking like someone had just asked him to divide by zero. "Yes, sir."

That wasn't the glorious success Jared had hoped for.

"Humor me?" Jared pleaded. "You tell me no, okay? Slam the door and lock it if you want to. Just tell me no."

Jensen blinked and Jared tried again. "Can I come in?"

The uncertainty on Jensen's face made him want to hug him but Jared couldn't help his triumphant grin when Jensen said, nervous, "No?"

"Nailed it," Jared said with a grin. "Again. With more enthusiasm this time."

"No," Jensen said again, smiling a little in spite of himself.

"One more time?"

"No!"

Jensen's smile was bright but tentative, as though he couldn't quite believe what he was saying, and Jared kept his own expression as encouraging as possible as he stepped further back from the door. "Now, you wanna stay and settle in some more or come downstairs and watch a movie?"

Jensen paused to glance back around his room for a second but Jared believed that he was making an honest choice when he reached out to take Jared's offered hand. 

"Downstairs please, sir."

****

+++

"You want the spaghetti or the fat little curly ones?"

Stirring the sauce, Jared looked over to where Jensen was staring at the packets of spaghetti and fusilli as though deciding which wire to cut on a bomb.

It hadn't take Jared long over the past twenty-four hours to figure out that 'either/or' choices were the best way to go -- despite his attempts to get Jensen to say no to things he didn't want, Jensen was hesitant to turn down any of Jared's requests -- but that hadn't stopped Jensen from giving them way too much thought. There were only so many variables to take into account when it came to picking pasta.

"The spaghetti," Jensen said eventually, looking back over his shoulder for approval and Jared nodded.

"Great." He pointed to the pan with his elbow. "Dump it in there."

Jensen complied, sliding the spaghetti into the waiting water. Jared didn't miss the way Jensen stole glances at him out of the corner of his eye and so wasn't surprised when Jensen offered for the third time, "I can cook for you, sir."

"You can but you won't," Jared said with a grin. "Not tonight anyway."

Up close, he could see the dusty yellow of the bruise on Jensen's jaw and shifted back to give Jensen more breathing room as they cooked. 

Giving him space had been one of the toughest parts of the process so far; as much as Jared wanted to move in close, pull Jensen into a hug or kiss him on the forehead, he had to think through every move he made. It was exhausting, trying to think what a shitty person like Mark would do in every domestic situation and then making sure he didn't do anything which could be construed as similar, but the tentative smiles he got from Jensen were more than worth it.

"We can come up with a rota," Jared said, tapping his foot along to the music spilling from the radio as he stirred. (Music had been another stumbling block; when he'd turned the volume up, Jensen had retreated to the corner of the kitchen, expecting a punishment painful enough that the radio would be needed to mask his cries.) "Some nights you can cook, some nights I can cook, and sometimes we can split it. That sound fair?"

Jensen nodded. "Yes, s-" He pressed his lips together and tried again. "That sounds fair."

Even with the occasion moment of tension, it was easy enough to slip into conversation about their favorite foods and things to cook. Jensen was reticent about admitting he liked anything but after Jared offered up some of his own preferences, Jensen volunteered that his favorite take-out was Chinese.

(After seeing the bag of dry pellets at Mark's house, Jared didn't need to ask what his least favorite was.)

By the time the spaghetti was done, they'd made it on to favorite pizza toppings -- Jensen liked pepperoni, Jared liked everything that wasn't onion -- and Jared went to grab a couple of sodas from the fridge as he called over his shoulder, "Hey, can you dish those out for me?" Then, remembering the previous night when Jensen had tried to just wait for his leftovers, "Two bowls."

Nodding, Jensen went to work on scooping up the spaghetti and sauce. The portions weren't even, weren't anywhere close, but Jared was more concerned about the way Jensen kept checking to make sure Jared was still in his sight line and not about to slam his hand onto the hot stove.

He stepped back when he was done, waiting for approval as he stammered, "You- I can give you more if you want. I mean, if you're hungry, I don't mind-"

"Hey, hey," Jared said firmly, "I'm fine with this. I could even manage with less, I think."

Reaching around Jensen's waist, he scooped a couple of decent spoonfuls from his bowl into Jensen's before pressing it into Jensen's hands. Jensen relaxed a little at the gift -- he'd told him the night before about how Mark used to divide up the food then make Jensen toss his portion in the trash if he'd been disobedient -- and then relaxed even further when Jared shepherded him over to the table to sit down.

His stomach rumbled and Jared smiled as he took the seat next to him. 

"Cheers," he said, raising his soda. "Here's to someone salvaging my questionable cooking for once."

Jensen's cheeks heated but that didn't stop him clinking his glass against Jared's with a timid smile. "Cheers."

****

+++

They had good days and bad days.

A few days after the relative success of dinner, Jared helped Jensen order himself a whole new set of clothes online. The combination of making decisions and spending Jared's money wasn't the easiest thing for Jensen to deal with but they persevered and when the clothes arrived later that week, Jensen was happy for days.

Jared didn't think he'd ever seen anyone that excited about owning a hoodie.

****

+++

A few more days later, Jared asked Jensen what he'd eaten for lunch.

He'd taken a week off to help him settle in and to be around if Jensen had any questions, but the office had soon beckoned him back. Jensen seemed fine to be left on his own all day and made cautious conversation with Jared in the evenings, enough to convince Jared that maybe the recovery process wasn't going to take as long as people had warned him about.

That delusion was swiftly punctured when Jensen admitted that he hadn't ever eaten lunch, breakfast or any kind of snack while Jared was away at work.

He hadn't known he was allowed to.

****

+++

A couple of weeks later, Jared found Jensen staring out of the kitchen window at the realtors sizing up Mark's house for sale. 

While neither of them were sad to see it go on the market, Jensen didn't have the best reaction to the thought of the realtors looking around inside and drawing their own conclusions about all the equipment that had been used on him. 

He didn't leave Jared's side all evening, tucking himself up against him for reassurance of just how different his life was now.

The next day they picked out some blinds to put on the windows facing Mark's old house.

****

+++

A month after Jensen came to live with him, the omega protective services team showed up for a home visit. Despite Jared's attempts to talk him down, Jensen cleaned for hours and hours beforehand, apparently terrified that they were going to decide he wasn't good enough for Jared, instead of vice versa. 

However, once they arrived, the visit went impressively well. Jensen was exhausted but happy, the house was freakishly clean and free of implements of torture, and Jared wasn't a raging psychopath, so they passed with flying colors on all fronts.

Jensen fell asleep on Jared's lap ten minutes after they left. Jared decided he looked too peaceful to wake up. 

****

+++

After his third counseling session, Jensen locked himself in his room for an entire day.

Jared wasn't too proud to admit that he freaked out. He tried to talk to him through the door, called a doctor, called any of his friends who would listen, but stopped short of barreling through to the door to Jensen's bedroom, lock or no lock.

It was hard not to barge in to check up on him but when Jensen emerged the next afternoon, face pale and eyes red from tears, it was even harder for Jared not to push for answers which Jensen wasn't ready to give.

****

+++

Two months and four nights after Jensen moved in, Jared heard him jerking off when he walked past his room at night.

It was quiet, like everything Jensen did, but unmistakeable. As he lingered outside the door, Jared heard the tremor of Jensen's breathing, the steady sound of his slick hand on his dick, and then the squeak of the bed and the stifled moan that Jared recognized all too well.

He didn't know whether to be pleased that Jensen's libido was active again or frustrated that his own dick was showing far too much interest in this development.

****

+++

In hindsight, inviting so many of his friends over to watch the game was possibly a mistake.

Jensen had been doing better, had been more confident around Jared and had met most of his friends individually without incident. They'd just received a clean bill of health on their third monthly inspection and so the next Sunday Jared stocked the house with beer, nachos and friends to have a relaxing afternoon in front of the TV.

Jensen was skittish from the second the first guys arrived. In retrospect, Jared knew he should've picked up on it sooner, should've seen the way Jensen shied away from people and avoided eye contact in a way he hadn't for weeks, but it didn't click into place until Tom called him through to the kitchen.

Which is where he found Jensen on his knees, waiting to be used.

Neither of them handled the situation well. 

Embarrassed that Jensen would even think to offer that and angry at himself for not realizing what Jensen's past experience with groups of his master's friends was likely to involve, Jared yelled. Scared of his reaction and overwhelmed by the amount of people there, Jensen retreated.

They both spent the evening offering apologies through the solid wood of Jensen's bedroom door.

****

+++

Jensen took his omega proficiency exam a couple of months later.

He was smart, happy to curl up with any book that was available and better at managing the household budget than Jared had ever been, but after his years with Mark, Jensen's view on his own abilities was severely skewed from reality. 

It had taken a lot of coaxing to get Jensen to the point where he realized that sucking dick wasn't his primary skill and a lot more coaxing to persuade him to take a shot at studying for his proficiency exam. It wasn't the hardest of tests, largely covering math and literacy, but it was challenging enough to be a source of pride for omegas that passed. 

Despite Jensen's initial hesitance, he found it rewarding once he'd gotten started and Jared came home most evenings to find him buried in revision papers. 

It became more intense in the weeks leading up to the test, with Jared quizzing him every morning on the definitions and usages of increasingly complex words, but when they opened the mail three weeks later to find a proficiency certificate with Jensen's name on it, he knew that it had been more than worth it.

He would've learned twice as many obscure verbs just to see the pride on Jensen's face every time he looked at his certificate.

****

+++

The next three months went as well as could be expected. 

They weathered a couple more rough counseling sessions as well as a visit from Jared's parents; Jared developed a mildly embarrassing obsession with video games, which Jensen was all too happy to enable; and Jensen found himself a part time job proofreading novels, which let him spend hours curled up in their newly-furnished den with a stack of books while making pages of color-coded notes. 

(It was pretty much the Jensen version of heaven.)

Given the comfortable routine they'd fallen into, Jared was therefore understandably confused when Jensen came padding into the living room one evening and stood in front of him with a serious expression on his face.

"Will you fuck me?"

For the first time in his life, choking on his own tongue became a very real concern for Jared.

"I- What-"

"Please," Jensen corrected quickly, twisting his fingers together. "Please will you fuck me? I can do the work if you're tired. I'm prepared."

Thinking logically, Jared had no idea where to even begin dealing with that. Thinking rashly, Jared's unhelpful dick showed some interest at the idea of Jensen working himself open on his fingers and trying to gauge how big Jared's cock would feel in his ass.

"No," Jared said firmly, half to Jensen and half to his dick. "I'm not gonna fuck you, man."

Biting his lip, Jensen gave a jerky nod. "Of course," he said, cheeks flushing red in embarrassment. "I'm really sorry. I thought-" He swallowed. "I'm stupid. I'm sorry."

"Hey, no," Jared said, reaching out to stop him before he could run away. Jensen's eyes were wet and he wouldn't meet his gaze as Jared said gently, "You're not stupid. I was just surprised, that's all." He squeezed Jensen's hip, hating the feeling that clawed through his chest at the sight of an upset Jensen. "You wanna come sit down and talk about it?"

The promise of cuddles was a reliable way to ease a tense situation and Jared smiled when Jensen came to settle at his side, his legs tucked underneath him and his head down. 

Kissing him on the head, Jared stroked his hand down his arm as he asked, lost, "What brought this on?"

Jensen gave a helpless little shrug and buried his face in Jared's shoulder, his voice thick with shame. "I like you," he whispered. "I thought I could make you feel good."

"I like you too," Jared said honestly. "I really do, man. But it shouldn't be like this."

"It's been months," Jensen said, sounding wretched. "I know you said you didn't need that from me but it's yours if you want it." He looked up, his gaze painfully sincere. "I'm yours if you want me."

He leaned up but his lips only brushed Jared's cheek when Jared turned away from the kiss. 

His hands shook with how badly he wanted to haul Jensen into his lap and kiss him until he was breathless and smiling, but he settled for cupping his cheek as he said quietly, "I do want you. You have no idea how badly I want you but not like this, man. I'm not just going to bend you over because you're here and because I can."

"But I'm ready," Jensen pleaded. "It's not like Mark. I want this."

"You want what, Jensen?" he asked, tugging Jensen down further until he was half-sitting on his lap. "What do you want to do here?"

Jensen's eyes dropped to his hands. "I want to make you happy," he said softly. "You've been nicer to me than anyone I've ever met. I can be good for you," he promised, gaze lingering on Jared's lips as he moved in closer. "Please let me?"

It took a near superhuman effort to nudge Jensen back an extra few inches.

"Not like this," Jared said, not taking his hand off Jensen's waist. "If you want this, then I'm on board but only if we take it slow."

Jensen nodded, eyes bright. "I can take it slow," he said. "Whatever you want."

"Whatever we both want," Jared corrected, meeting his eyes. "If this is gonna be a… whatever this is, you're going to have just as much say in it as I am. Right?"

He was pleased to see Jensen pause for a second before nodding again. Too overwhelmed to come up with any more ground rules right then, Jared let himself relax as Jensen settled happily on his lap, tracing circles over Jared's collarbone with his fingertips.

"How about we start small?" Jared said. "Just one kiss."

Jensen's smile was broad and happy as he tilted his head into the warmth of Jared's hand. 

"Just one," he whispered as Jared closed the gap between them.

Over the past eight months, Jared had fantasized about kissing Jensen in the same way other men fantasized about sleeping with the hot secretary. It was forbidden and foolish and he knew so much better than to even consider it, but that didn't stop the idea of it from being stupidly appealing. He'd pictured kissing him when they were out on the grass or sprawled out in front of a movie or standing in the pouring rain, but now that he had a more-than-willing Jensen in his lap, the fantasies couldn't compare.

Jensen's mouth was hot against his, his body warm and lean as he wrapped his arms around Jared's shoulders to let their chests rest together. His tentative touches soon smoothed out as Jared kissed him back, his tongue sliding against Jensen's when Jensen slanted their lips together with ease.

He could taste the flavor of Jensen's evening mug of cocoa on his lips and smiled into the kiss at the hit of sugar when his tongue caught the corner of Jensen's mouth. Jensen made a quiet sound against his lips, something close to exhausted happiness, and Jared let himself sink right alongside him as Jensen's tongue curled against his.

Jared's cheeks were just as heated as Jensen's when they finally broke apart. Shifting on his lap, Jensen snuggled in to rest his head against Jared's shoulder and Jared gave him a soft kiss on the temple as he asked, "You okay?"

He believed it when Jensen murmured, "Perfect."

The tension ebbed out of him as he settled in Jared's arms and Jared carded his fingers through his hair, only just realizing how nervous Jensen had been about making the first move (albeit in the only way he knew how).

"So about that one kiss," Jared said, smoothing the pad of his thumb over Jensen's earlobe. "How would you feel about doing the same again tomorrow?"

The delighted smile that spread across Jensen's face was enough of an answer.

****

+++

"It's been a year."

Half-asleep, Jared managed to frown and open one eye at the same time in what he considered to be an impressive display of early morning coordination. He was greeted with the blue of the pillowcase at first but smiled when green eyes and a freckled nose soon came into focus.

"What's been a year?" he mumbled.

Jensen kissed him on the cheek. "You saving my life."

"Ah." The memory of Jensen sitting in his bathtub, bound, shivering and terrified, wasn't Jared's favorite thing to wake up to but it was very efficient at rousing him from sleep. "It's been a whole year?"

Jensen gave him a small smile, eyelashes casting shadows in the light that trickled in through the gap in the curtains. "Does it feel like longer?"

Jared wasn't lying when he said, "Feels like yesterday."

"Do you ever regret it?" Jensen asked, his smile fading. "You ever wish you'd never gotten involved?"

"Not for a second," Jared promised and leaned in to kiss him.

Jensen kissed him back before saying with a self-deprecating smile, "You don't wish you'd picked a normal, healthy omega, not some rejected screw-up?"

"You're not a screw-up," Jared said firmly. 

Neither of them could pretend Jensen was unscarred from his time with Mark. Even a year on, he slept on the side closest to the door whenever he shared Jared's bed, he made sure he was always fully dressed from socks to sweater whenever he was around anyone who wasn't Jared, and he hated the cold.

Everything was understandable, traced back to something he'd been through in Mark's care and the necessary coping mechanisms he'd developed, and while it was occasionally frustrating, Jared had never wished for anyone else.

"I wouldn't change a damn thing," Jared said, kissing him again. "You're not a screw-up and you definitely weren't rejected. I had to fight for you, remember?" He smiled, letting his nose bump against Jensen's. "And yeah, I'm kind of terrible at fighting but the intention was definitely there. I'm not giving you up. Anyone else comes for you, I'll be ready."

Jensen laughed, lifting his chin for another kiss on the lips before cuddling in closer. His hand drifted down to Jared's boxers and he looked up at Jared, big doe eyes asking permission as his fingers stroked Jared's morning wood through the fabric.

"You sure?"

Jared's voice was rough from sleep but he watched Jensen carefully for any signs of uncertainty when he asked again, "I know it's been a year and all but you know you don't owe me anything, right? Least of all this."

"It's not because of that," Jensen said with confidence. He propped himself up, controlling the kiss as he let his tongue dip inside Jared's mouth. "You're here and you look good and you smell nice and I want to."

"I don't know if I can vouch for the smelling," Jared teased, pleased by the lack of lingering guilt in Jensen's reasoning, "but otherwise I concur."

Laughing, Jensen swung his leg over Jared's waist to kneel above him. Settled on his back on the pillows, Jared stretched up for one more kiss as Jensen tipped forward onto his elbows and shimmied down under the blankets. It was more endearing than sexy, seeing Jensen's bare feet poking out of the other end of the comforter and watching him bat at the sheets like a confused cat, but Jared couldn't help smiling when he shucked the blankets off enough to get a look at Jensen's pink cheeks and rumpled hair.

"You know, you don't need to," Jared said, stretching his legs out as Jensen settled between them. "We can just-"

His words turned into a surprised groan when Jensen eased his dick out of his boxers and into his mouth before Jared could protest.

Sex was a whole new minefield and one that Jared hadn't successfully cleared yet. As happy as they both were to be together, it was still easy to say or do the wrong thing but they were getting better at communication. 

Jared was more cautious, making sure to discuss anything different with Jensen ahead of time to make sure no unpleasant memories were stirred up, while Jensen was working on opening up to him more. As much as Jensen hated talking about what Mark had done to him (and as much as Jared hated hearing it), it was easier when they both knew what old ghosts they were dealing with.

As such, when Jensen settled on his stomach to take Jared's dick further into his mouth, Jared had high hopes of the minefield being largely deactivated at some point in future.

"That's good," Jared said, biting his lip with a moan as Jensen's tongue swiped across the underside of the head. "Fuck, that's good."

Jensen liked praise, almost as much as he liked Jared, and Jared was pleased to see the happy glint in his eyes as he pulled back to lick his palm. He wrapped it around the base of Jared's dick a second later and ducked his head again until the whole length of Jared's cock was sheathed in the warmth of Jensen's hand and mouth.

Jensen's cheeks hollowed out as he sucked, hand moving in steady jerks along with the bob of his head, and Jared lay back against the pillows with a tired sigh. His hand rested on Jensen's jaw, not pushing or holding but just feeling the occasional nudge of his dick against Jensen's cheek as he let Jensen take the reins.

Once he'd gotten past the kneejerk hesitancy of Jensen sucking his dick, it hadn't taken them long to figure out that it was one of Jensen's favorite ways of getting off. Jared kept his hands off for the most part, giving Jensen as much control as he wanted, and Jensen seemed to take great pleasure in making Jared come apart beneath him.

"Jesus," Jared said, smiling as he curled his toes in the sheets. "Your fucking mouth, man."

Jensen hummed around his dick, eyes glinting, and Jared laughed when the vibrations only made the building pressure worse.

"Dick," he teased. "You're meant to get distracted, not get me off even faster."

If it hadn't been for the cock stretching his mouth wide, Jared was sure Jensen would've been smiling as he let out another very purposeful hum. Sparks of pleasure crackled through him and Jared tipped his head back, feeling heat begin to swamp him already.

"I used to have stamina," he said, only half complaining. "What are you doing to me, man?"

Jensen pulled off at that, stroking his hand down Jared's dick as he rested his chin on his thigh with a nervous smile. "You still like it, right?"

"I love it," Jared promised. "I mean, you're steathily robbing me of my sexual boasting opportunities but I am one hundred percent okay with that."

Laughing, Jensen leaned in to fit his lips around Jared's dick again. Jensen's legs were bent at the knee, his toes wiggling as he took him deeper, and Jared closed his eyes at the fresh burst of arousal when he saw Jensen move against the bed, rubbing his dick against the mattress to get himself off too.

Heat pounded through Jared's body as he pulled in a breath. Jensen's skin was damp with sweat beneath his fingers and Jared scritched through his hair with a fond smile as he felt the familiar tightness building in his balls, stoked by the steady movement of Jensen's goddamn perfect mouth around his dick.

"I'm close," he gasped, shifting his hand to Jensen's shoulder in an effort to coax him away. "You should-"

Nodding, Jensen pulled off in time to press a kiss to Jared's thigh. He nuzzled in close to the top of his leg, kissing a trail to his hipbone as his fist kept moving in quick jerks up and down his cock, and Jared tipped his head back with a groan as he finally let it take him.

His release flooded through him, leaving him breathless and moaning as he spilled over Jensen's fingers. He was on fire, lit up with the flare of it and heated through from toe to scalp, and by the time he came down to the soft flick of Jensen's tongue in his navel, he was fighting for air.

That didn't stop him from welcoming the warmth of Jensen's body as Jensen crawled back up to kiss him on the lips. He was hard, dick brushing Jared's stomach, and Jared smoothed his hand down his back as Jensen settled with a knee either side of his thigh. His dick rode the hollow of Jared's pelvis, right below the dip of his hipbone, and he caught Jensen's lips in a messy, contented kiss as Jensen ground himself to completion with the stuttering roll of his hips.

Jared could feel him come, could feel the hitch of his breath and the momentary tension in his body right before the warm splash of come landed on his stomach. He lowered his head to kiss him through it, hot, firm kisses to Jensen's forehead and down his nose until Jensen blinked himself back to reality, dazed but happy.

"Hi," Jared teased, wrapping his arm around him. "You back with me?"

Jensen smiled shyly, burying his head in Jared's shoulder. "M'with you."

Jared kissed him on the head. "Wouldn't have it any other way." 

Staring up at the ceiling, he resisted the pull of sleep as he asked around a yawn, "You wanna go get some breakfast?"

Not lifting his face from Jared's shoulder, Jensen shook his head.

Jared grinned. "You wanna go back to sleep instead?"

He felt the bob of Jensen's nod and reached down to tug the covers back over them as Jensen cuddled up happily at his side. 

"I'm a terrible influence on you," Jared said with a yawn. "Pretty soon we'll both be spending our entire weekends in bed together."

Jensen smiled against his shoulder and nodded again.

Chuckling, Jared let his gaze drift over to the gap in the curtains where he could see snow beginning to fall. Jensen didn't stir and Jared pulled him in that little bit closer as he murmured, "I guess I could go with that."

****

+++

One year, five months and sixteen days after they started living together, Jared told Jensen he loved him.

Twenty-six minutes later, Jensen said it back.


End file.
